Page 75 of Keeping Freya
The ship has had many alterations, with L’Ren and D’Var’s kid and the presence of the females. In the end, it is all for the best, though we are somewhat of a unique crew. That is fine by me. I get to do what I was destined to do while keeping my mate with me.
The airlock opens, and I grin when I see O’Rec, Marra, and their family waiting for us. With three sons and one growing, the stars have blessed him and the way he chose for the Arracate.
Mara
Lauren’s smiling face is the first thing I see when the ship’s doors open, and I smile right back at her. We are enveloped in hugs and welcomes, and our kids are passed around and cuddled.
When I can finally wrap my arms around my friend, I immediately feel her the changes in her body. “You’re pregnant again?”
She glows. “Yes!”
“I am so happy for you!”
“Thank you, but wait till you hear what we found.”
I give her a quizzical look, but my youngest starts fussing, reaching out for Lauren; he’s quite the charmer, the little guy. Laughing she lifts him and blows a raspberry in his neck.
My eyes lock with my mate’s, and I arch a brow.“What did they find?”
“We will go back to our home and let them tell. We should be patient.”
“Come, join us for refreshments,” I order, and when the Queen orders something, they all follow. I still can’t believe I’m their queen now, but I love to help our people and bring guidance. O’Rec keeps growing as a leader, and his people love him for his heart and wit.
There is still talk about the time he relocated an entire Sternotheri colony to build a lasting peace. Not everybody agreed with him, but in the end, it turned out to be one of the better decisions. We now have diplomatic relations with them and are no longer hunted. That sense of peace is what led us to this last mission.
D’Var
The years have been kind to us, and gratitude fills my heart when I look around us. The children are playing, happy to be reunited, and we sit at O’Rec and Marra’s dining table.
I look at T’Rak, he is our captain, he should be the one to tell them.
“Well?” O’Rec asks us. “Tell us, what did you find?”
“Do you know how we have talked about the force of the spark? About how it always felt more on Arracate?” T’Rak starts.
O’Rec nods and waves at T’Rak to continue.
“We encountered a small planet similar in size to Novarron. It is only a two-day travel away from them. The planet is green, and the atmosphere is healthy for all of us.
Some indigenous people told us about a strange asteroid hitting their planet years ago. The planet was a desert planet on the verge of extinction until that asteroid hit. Over the months, the planet began to thrive, flora began to grow, and populations of animals began to prosper. The theory was that the asteroid had changed their planet’s orbit, but we suspected there was more to that story.”
My heartbeat rises, and I grab my mate’s hand for comfort. My Zarra, my everything.
“Are you absolutely certain?” O’Rec whispers, and I see Marra’s eyes are wet with unshed tears.
“Yes,” T’Rak confirms. “It is the spark, it lives inside of Ivaria.”
Freya
The entire room falls quiet after my mate speaks those words, and I send him a mental nudge; he reciprocates by circling his tail around my waist.
“The people are friendly and peaceful. They had been through a lot of sickness and hunger before the spark arrived. We talked with their leaders, who talked with their elders, and so on. Their numbers are small, and they are inviting us to move there.”
Mara starts sobbing when T’Rak says those last words, and I feel so proud of my mate for finding that special place when nobody even knew we were looking.
“We can have a place for the children to grow up, run around, and interact with nature.”
I grin. “There are so many possibilities. The Ivarian people are warm and welcoming, and they also have a couple of small children. They were also going extinct with the planet, so most of their children are 10 years old or younger.”
I think back to what we witnessed on Ivaria. Begul and Trjegul loved it there, and I believe Trjegul might be getting a litter of her own once we’re back planetside.
O’Rec stands and raises his cup. “This is the best news you could have brought me, my friend. This crew has given me more than I could have ever dreamed of. First, my mate and my future. And now we have found a way to seal our race’s future further. To the Arracate!”
We all join him in our toast. “To the Arracate!”
